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Former President Trump even attended a service there once. In fact, Platt's sloppy moral reasoning was one point of controversy in a letter to leadership from five long-standing members of . McLean Bible Church is one of the most influential churches in the United States. This is a breach of contract action seeking to remedy Defendants illegal actions to deny Plaintiffs their rights to cast a free and fair vote, to have those votes lawfully counted, and to enjoy their right to a secret ballot, according to the complaint. The best examples are the woke church movement, and the takeover of many seminaries by critical race theory. Copyright 2020, Religion News Service. This is pretty shocking, even if you have been reading our warnings (here, here, and here - to start) about the apparent in-coming embrace of LGBTQ+ among Southern Baptist Elites.Eric Saunders, Pastor of McLean Bible Church of Arlington, MD, has released a video in which he claims Jesus experienced a kind of body dysphoria like that experienced by transgender claimants. Many former elders have left McLean Bible Church since David Platts takeover of the church. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. He became pastor-teacher at McLean Bible . (RNS) A yearlong legal battle over a contested election at a prominent Washington, D.C.-area church appears to be over for now. Less than 25 percent of members were part of the vote Wednesday night, Platt said. From 1980-2017, I had the honor of serving as the Senior Pastor of McLean Bible Church (MBC) in McLean, VA., in the suburbs of Washington, DC. He - I've heard him preach on abortion and religious liberty and traditional marriage. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Sarah Merkle, an attorney and professional parliamentarian, said the incident highlights the importance in any church of establishing and following sound voting procedures. Pastor David Platt, left, prays for President Donald Trump at McLean Bible Church, in Vienna, Virginia, on June 2, 2019. The letter warned, Thabiti Anyabwile, despite promoting progressive talking points at the expense of Christian truth, dividing the body of Christ across racial lines, and promoting the political agenda of Black Liberation Theology, has been used to train the MBC staff and played a prominent role within MBC church life.. Welcome to McLean Bible Church in the final rundown to Sunday's surprisingly contentious vote on new elders. Platt, the senior pastor of McLean Bible Church in Northern Virginia, is now caught in the middle of a scandal that is reminiscent of events that took place in 2019 at a large Southern Baptist Church in Naples, FL. Frazer said the confusion over McLean's relationship with the SBC and the election controversy reflect a bigger problem with the church. Facebook; Twitter; visit the YouTube Channel. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. It never goes away on its own.. Under the "woke" new pastor who succeeded the legendary Lon Solomon, however, it may soon not even rank as the biggest church in McLean. Because of its proximity to Washington, D.C., many government officials, Capitol Hill staffers, and thought leaders are members. Until a chance encounter with my moms old Bible opened my eyes. Because of the nature of a lawsuit, unfortunately, we cannot provide any further comment at this time, the elders said in a statement. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The weeks between the two votes were tumultuous. Former President Trump even . All rights reserved. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. We want MBC to be a place where people with all kinds of convictions on matters of conscience can thrive, the Q&A stated. Those inclined toward CSJ found it inspiring. degree in chemistry (1971) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Th.M. Fools despise wisdom and instruction. Why is David Platt undermining elections? And there really were some wild conspiracy theories that came out of that. Platts silent embrace of the radical Black Lives Matter movement and the promotion of Kelsey along with Social Justice Bible studies including Platts own book legitimizing Christians who vote for Pro-Abortion Democrats, conservatives are leaving the church for new homes. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Life of Christ dramatization The Thorn comes to big screens March 67, New book outlines importance of every Christian knowing theology, Southcrest Baptist in Bessemer hosting Holy Destiny on March 3, Start a new subscription at the group rate. Barber pointed out that voting is usually donein a public way, by voice vote or raising hands, so theres no historic expectation of privacy, but using a ballot with a church members name on it, especially for a leadership role, would be unprecedented, in his experience. You've read 0 of 5 of todays most popular posts. This is extremely important, Platt said with the sound of desperation. The churchs constitution requires that new elders receive 75% approval and for the first time in McLeans history, a new group of elders failed to reach that margin. So they scheduled that vote for Sunday, July the 18. Browse 60+ years of magazine archives and web exclusives. It's little outside of Washington, D.C., in Virginia. Many of its members come from the top ranks of government, media, and business. What opponents claim as being Platts liberal or woke politics, supporters see as the 42-year-old preachers commitment to Christ above all. That language has no place whatsoever here. A series of controversies and the countrys growing political polarization have caused a rift at McLean Bible Church, where former International Mission Board president and author David Platt is pastor. While the church is slashing spending on a variety of things including missions, discipleship, outreach, and church plants, one area of increased spending in 2021 is in the Senior Management salaries. If people were motivated to drive from Maine and Florida to McLean Bible Church in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., to vote against David Platts Woke agenda, maybe the problem is not with the dissidents but with David Platt? Platt was presented with multiple documents from many respected past and present McLean Bible Church members over the last two years that connected concerns about racial identity politics with proper biblical application. But then you have some of the younger evangelicals who say, look. Wait. And so I think I simply put into words what many people were already sensing.. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. INSKEEP: Is that part of what seemed to get him in trouble with at least a portion of the congregation? Video screengrab via MBC. Save McLean Bible Church. June 27, 2022. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. He told Religion News Service that the church believes it will prevail if there is an appeal. Longtime member Bill Frazer, 69, believes Sundays election violated the churchs constitution, which states that any member who misses services eight weeks in a row can be designated as inactive. The Evangelical Church Is Breaking Apart. The dispute at McLean centered around a failed June 30, 2021, election. The largely conservative northern Virginia church across the Potomac from Washington had grown from a group of five families in the 1960s to a congregation of more than 10,000 spread across several campuses, attracting politicians and business leaders to the churchs evangelical message and values. See more. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Their pastor, David Platt, is very well-known among evangelicals. They have several campuses. The bullseye of the controversy is pastor and best-selling author David Platt, a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board. Following the first failed election, a second election was held in early July 2021, this one where members had to sign their ballots which critics said violated the church practice of using secret ballots. And then there was some question as to who is eligible to vote as a McLean member and who is not. Platt, the senior pastor of McLean Bible Church in Northern Virginia, is now caught in the middle of a scandal that is reminiscent of events that took place in 2019 at a large Southern Baptist Church in Naples, FL. Platt and his family are members of the Washington, D.C., area church, where Platt also serves as elder. (Reformation Charlotte) A sad sight to behold is the trajectory that David Platt has been on over the last several years as the Evangelical racial reconciliation movement a movement rooted in Marxist Critical Race Theory has consumed him in nearly every aspect of thought and decision. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Frank gives an insightful answer to this question and analyzes the recent controversy that started when members of a gym said a special workout in support of "Pride Week" was canceled by gym owners that led to an executive at CrossFit was fired for a tweet on his personal account. . It was an exercise in eisegesis (p. 121). Frazer, who is not a plaintiff, said the lawsuit and controversy at the church were unfortunate and that he hated to see the churchs dirty laundry aired in public. Disposition definition, the predominant or prevailing tendency of one's spirits; natural mental and emotional outlook or mood; characteristic attitude: I'd like to thank the general manager for his hospitality, kindness, and always cheerful disposition. David Platt is so desperate to cling to powerthat he will portray a diverse group of conservative McLean Bible Church members as racists. ''differentattitude.' ''''Now,'friends,'that's'true'of'you'and'me'as'well.''Itdoesn'thave'to' ''be'this'way'for'us.' By. He is pastor of the Shiloh Baptist Church in Saraland, Ala., and he also writes for Christianity Today, which is how he came to report on McLean Bible Church. They cited Platts use of Woke resources as further proofPlatt required for his course on Race books likeDivided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America. He also warned against letting tensions swell. Platt said the dissident group claimed it was using the elder vote as part of a constitutional process to retake control of the church. This internal document was a response to Platts promotion of The Gospel, the Church, Justice and Racism whitepaper. Meanwhile, leaders like Platt see the pushback as its own sort of coup and remain concerned about the influence of opposition fueled on social media and watchdog blogs. The course lasted about 15 hours of direct discipleship teaching. David Roach is a reporter and pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Saraland, Alabama. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. In a complaint filed Thursday (July 15), five McLean members allege that Platt and other leaders illegally barred them from voting at a recent congregational meeting to approve new church leaders. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Yet, even before this course, some noticed David Platts trajectory away from the Bible and into the Woke error. Yes, the typical political ploy used by Democrats in every election cycle has now entered Evangelical megachurches. NO POPUPS. Video screen grab via MBC. Lon Solomon is American evangelical Christian pastor and the founder of Lon Solomon Ministries, a non-profit ministry.. The suit is pending despite the announced vote outcome. A series of controversies and the country's growing political polarization have caused a rift at McLean Bible Church, where former International Mission Board president and author David Platt is pastor. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin). McLean Bible Church refuses to conduct meeting according to any established rules of order. The latest controversy revolves around who was eligible to participate in a June 30 vote on elders and has resulted in a lawsuit. But a spokesman for the SBC, while saying "McLean Bible Church, like all Southern Baptist churches, is an independent and autonomous local church," confirmed that McLean is considered an SBC church. This letter urged Platt and the current elders to reject the Woke path. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. The flashpoint in the last year included a special course on Social Justice called The Gospel, The Church, Justice and Race. We see throughout Scripture that individuals affect structures and structures affect individuals, so we emphasize both personal and corporate responsibility in matters of justice., And, We do grieve over the existence and effects of racism, and to the extent that we are part of a larger group of people guilty of racism, we appropriately confess corporate sins of racism and take appropriate steps of repentance, much as we do when the Holy Spirit convicts us of any corporate sin. At a June 30 meeting, nominees Chuck Hollingsworth, Jim Burris, and Ken Tucker had failed to receive a clear 75 percent majority, the margin required for elder election. We're glad to hear from you. In fact, in a sermon around the time of the November 2020 Presidential Election, Platt dared conservatives to leave the church over his welcoming of those supporting pro-abortion candidates, i.e. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. He became a teaching pastor in 2017 and left the presidency of the SBCs International Mission Board to dedicate his ministry to McLean the following year. In September 2017, Platt was confirmed into the role of teaching pastor of McLean Bible Church (MBC) by a 95 percent approval vote from the congregational members. A group of five former leaders at McLean including a former elder, former staff member and lay leadership warned David Platt in a letter dated February 3, 2021, about numerous moves by Platt and his elders to divide the church along racial lines. McLean Bible Church, the multisite megachurch in McLean, Virginia near Washington, D.C. where David Platt pastors, confirmed three new elders Sunday in a revote where members labeled their ballots with their names. The social justice controversy has erupted in church business meetings at McLean Bible Church and has gained national attention. Under Solomon, the congregation had been known as a holy destination for GOP senators and Bush aides. Tensions ramped up the past two years amid political turmoil in the DC area and nationwide. In that election, the elders were approved, which led dissident members to file a suit. A lawsuit brought by McLean Bible Church dissidents on Friday to reverse the results of an election for church leaders (elders) was dismissed by a court in Fairfax County, Virginia. The conflict at McLean Bible Church is significant not only because of the congregations size and influencewith several thousand attendees and a prominent place in the DC church landscapebut also because the incident marks the latest salvo in an ongoing clash within American evangelicalism. Greear and Texas megachurch pastor Matt Chandler, have been outspoken about racism and social justice issues, saying that the Bible teaches them to address those issues. From 2014 to 2017, Platt was president of the International Mission Board. It couldnt be that David Platts Woke rhetoric has driven about 40% of church members to attend church in other non-Woke evangelical churches in that part of Virginia! The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Platts teaching explains that some people (no doubt an oppressed racial group) can better see sin than those people part of a larger group of people guilty of racism..